More than 1200 students from various secondary schools across Mount Kenya counties attended the Meru education and leadership congress organised by Equity Bank.
The students are beneficiaries of Equity Bank’s Wings to Fly programme came from Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Kirinyaga Embu, Nyeri, Laikipia and Muranga counties.
Equity bank’s Wings to Fly associate director for women and youth banking Dr Silpha Owich who represented the Equity group chairman Dr James Mwangi said they have 1275 scholars under the programme in the region.
“We are encouraging innovation and for the three days they have done 30 prototypes. Equity Afia which is very successful and has over 60 branches countrywide, was developed by young innovators,” she said.
Under Wings to Fly program, students who score A plain and A- in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) are given internship by the bank before joining the university.
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“We will also have a mentorship program for students before they go to the university so that they can be mentored to get scholarships from top global Universities like Yale University and Harvard University and many more,” she said.
She said currently, they have 980 students studying in universities outside the country pursuing finance and technology.
Equity Bank Central and Upper Eastern region manager Stephen Mwaniki said they are mentoring the youth to avoid drugs and early pregnancy by focusing on their studies.
“We want the students to be mentored by several people to be able to deal with challenges not only in life but also in the future,” Mwaniki said.
Equity bank Meru-Makutano branch Manager Nancy Gitonga said she is optimistic the students have been mentored to work hard in their studies in order to excel in the future.
By John Majau
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